In general, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-163488 and Japanese Patent No. 3,192,663, since a moving image is divided in correspondence with the changing points of operations (pan, tilt) or states (focus and the like) of a moving image sensing device, a playback process from a desired location, a moving image edit process, and an automatic generation of a summary of a moving image can be achieved, thus allowing easy confirmation of the contents. Such method is effective especially when one moving image contains various subjects to be sensed or when an image sensing environment changes.
However, as a moving image gets longer, and as that moving image includes more subjects to be sensed and more changes in image sensing environment, the moving image is divided into a large number of intervals by the conventional method.
For example, FIG. 17 is a view for explaining the conventional moving image dividing technique. (a) of FIG. 17 shows the changing points (Gain, White Balance, subject distance, Zoom, Pan) of the operation intervals and the states of the image sensing device with respect to a single moving image for respective items. (b) of FIG. 17 shows the image dividing result using these Gain, White Balance, subject distance, Zoom, and Pan items. As shown in (b) of FIG. 17, since division positions based on a plurality of different items are present together, the moving image is segmented into many intervals. Also, when a given interval is determined by a plurality of different items, it does not become a significant unit (note that the significant unit means, for example, an interval where subject A appears). For example, interval A in (b) of FIG. 17 starts from a changing point of White balance, and ends at an end point of Pan operation, and does not form a significant unit.
The aforementioned moving image is often obtained when an amateur photographer makes an image sensing operation. Since such amateur photographer is not used to do such image sensing, he or she tends to sense an image while seeking a subject to be sensed. In such situation, in order to search for a desired interval in a moving image, each individual interval takes much confirmation time, and the load on the user cannot be reduced.